Cpl 22464 Joseph Gilbert Maine

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 20th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 12th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Joseph Gilbert Maine was born on the 20^th May 1896 in Liverpool, baptised on the 7^th June 1896 at St Charles Borromeo, Aigburth. He was the son of Joseph Henry and his wife Amoy (nee Williams) who were married on the 8th February 1894 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Joseph senior was a plumber of 3 Fairview Place, born in 1866, son of a plumber from Ireland. Amoy was of 7 Lucerne St, father Richard, born in Liverpool in 1871. 

By the time of the 1901 census the couple had three children, Marguerite Caroline aged 6, Joseph Gilbert aged 4 and 1 year old Amy Frances. The family were living at 7 Siddeley Street, Toxteth.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 4 Windbourne Rd, St. Michael's Hamlet, Liverpool. All of Joseph’s siblings were living at home: Marguerite Caroline aged 16, Amy Francis aged 11 at school, Richard aged 7 at school, and 4 year old John Francis at school. The census shows his father aged 45, was working as a plumber for the G.P.O., mother Amoy is aged 40(married 18 years 5 children), and Joseph Gilbert aged 14, was a messenger boy for the Western Union. 

He enlisted on the 10th November, 1914 in Liverpool, joining the in the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 22464. He gave his age as 21 years and 186 days. His birth had actually been registered in the second quarter of 1896 so he would be 18 not 21. He gave his occupation as clerk and he was described as 5 foot eight and half inches tall, weighed 125lbs, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair and gave his religion as Roman Catholic. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

Joseph was appointed Paid Lance Corporal in February 1916, then acting Corporal in July 1916 and confirmed in that rank on July 3rd 1916.

Joseph was killed in action on the 12th October 1916, aged 20, during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

According to the 20^th Bn War Diary, on 10th October 1916 the battalion marched from Dernancourt via Mametz to Bazentin Le Grand where it bivouacked for the night. The next day the battalion moved up to site for assembly trenches, arriving about 11 p.m., where it dug in two good trenches, Nos.1 and 2 Coys front and Nos.3 and 4 Coys in rear.

From the War Diary:

Near Eaucourt L’Abbaye.  12/10/1916. The 4^th British and 6^th French armies continued the attack. Zero 2.5 p.m.  The whole XVth Corps attacked […]  The attack of 89^th Inf Bde was carried out with 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right, 17^th Bn KLR on left, 20^th Bn KLR in support, 19^th Bn KLR in reserve.  Battalions attacked in four waves. On the departure of the attacking battalions Nos. 1 and 2 companies advanced, each in two waves, to garrison the front line trench vacated by 2^nd Bn Bedf Regt on right and 17^th KLR on left. On Nos 1 and 2 Coys vacating front assembly trench, it was occupied by two platoons of Nos. 3 and 4 Coys respectively, from rear assembly trench. As the assaulting waves left their trenches they were met by intense machine gun fire, especially on our left. The enemy also opened heavy barrages on our front support and assembly trenches. […] Capt. H. Beckett, commanding No.1 company, reached the front line with few casualties, but Lieut R.D. Paterson leading No.2 company was killed. His company also had few casualties. The assaulting battalions were held up by very heavy machine gun fire, and made little progress.  […] At 4.20 p.m. two platoons, No.4 Coy, under Cpl Brighouse, were sent up to reinforce the left, and No.3 Coy under Cpl Sutton followed at 4.45 p.m.  Battalion HQ moved up to front line at 4.55 and remaining two platoons of No.4 Coy moved up to join Cpl Brighouse. 

Casualties during action: 

Officers – Killed Lieut. R.D. Paterson, 2^nd Lieut G.L. Grennan, Wounded – 2^nd Lieuts A.E. Griffin, L.E. Mclean Hayes, C. Buttemer, Wounded Cpl g. Brighouse.

Other Ranks killed – 20. 

It had rained incessantly at the beginning of October 1916 and the ground was full of mud. In his book ‘The Liverpool Pals’ Graham Maddocks describes the 12th of October:

It was obvious that the Germans knew an attack was coming and from which direction it would be mounted. On the evening of the 11th the 20th Battalion moved up the line and dug two deep assembly trenches behind the 17th Battalion’s position for the attack the next day. The 19th Battalion also moved into its reserve positions known as Flers Trench. Although the rain has stopped, the ground was like a morass, with all the natural vegetation destroyed, it was difficult to tell exactly where the objectives lay. On the afternoon of the 12th at exactly 2.05pm, the attack began along the whole Corps line, covered by the local batteries of the Royal Field Artillery which still had line of sight. As the whistles blew, the 17th Battalion left its trenches to move forwards, at the same time No.1 and 2 Companies of the 20th Battalion moved forward and occupied the trenches vacated by the 17th. As they too went over the top, No.3 and 4 Companies took their place and waited in their turn to follow. No.2 and 3 Companies of the 19th Battalion moved up to occupy the assembly trenches dug the previous night by the 20th.

As soon as the attacking waves left their trenches the enemy artillery began to register on them and at the same time the defending infantry commenced a murderous rain of fire. Those German regiments were trained and experienced soldiers, well dug in on high ground, and for the most part, looking out on uncut wire. As such it was virtually impossible for them to miss the City Battalion men struggling to advance in the mud towards them.

Brigadier-General F.C.Stanley wrote that the Battalions were also suffering casualties due to the short shooting of the British heavy artillery fire. “I know from practical experience that they were our own guns which were shooting, and which were causing us quite a considerable number of casualties. The fault lay at that time from the fact that the heavy gunners would not send their FOO’s (Forward Observation Officers) far enough forward, but were content to observe us from right back”

Some ground was gained that day, about 150 yards, the 20th Battalion were not relieved until 24 hours later causing the men to endure another day and night in the front line trench.

Joseph has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Liverpool Daily Post 7^th Nov 1916 

MAINE - Mr and Mrs J. H. Maine and family sincerely thank relatives and friends for the many kind letters and expressions of sympathy extended to them in their sorrow. 4 Windburn Road St Michael's. 

Reported killed in the Liverpool Daily Post 20th Nov 1916 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Maine, 22464, Cpl. J.; 

He is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, L;iverpool Town Hall, Panel 19 

St Charles Borromeo’s R.C. Church, Aigburth

St Michael in the Hamlet C. of E. Church.

Soldiers Effects to father Joseph H.,(Personal effects returned – 1 photo, 1 metal watch(broken), knife? cleaner), and pension to mother Amoy. 

He is also commemorated on the gravestone of his parents Amoy, who died in 1934 and Joseph, who died in 1945 which is in St Austin's churchyard, Aigburth Road

We currently have no further information on Joseph Gilbert Maine, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.